Veneer-sawing machine



(No Model.)

Y RMYBRS. VBNEER SAWING MACHINE.

No. 550,637. Patentd Dec. 3, 1895.

f ANDREW nsRMAM, Phovumo WASHINGTUMU C UNITED STATES PATENT CEETcE.

EDVARD MYERS, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

VEN EER-SAWING MACHINE.l

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,637, dated December 3, 1895. Appiication md April i, i895. sellar No. 543,944. (Ndmdei.)

T0 @ZZ whom it muy concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD MYERS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVeneer-Sawing Machines, of which the following is a speciiica-` tion.

My invention relates to machines for sawing veneers. Its objects are to provide means to automatically offset the stay-log at the completion of its forward movement and automatically return it to the same position when the carriage is gigged back and started to make anew cut, and also to provide means to rapidly carry the stay-log back for removing the remnant of the iiiteh and supplying a new one. These objects I attain by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in connection with which the invention will be first fully described, and then particularly referred to and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which like parts are indicated by similar reference-letters wherever they occur throughout the various views, Figure l is a rear elevation of so much of a veneer-sawing machine as is necessary to illustrate my invention. Fig. 2 is a detailed view, upon an enlarged scale, of the means for feeding the stay-log and offsetting the same. Fig. 3 is a detail showing in plan viewmthe means for rapidly backing the staylog preparatory to supplying it with the iiitch to be operated upon. Fig. 4 is a detailed view, in edge elevation, of the osetmechanism shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is adetail in plan view or top elevation of the means for actuating the feed-screw to offset the stay-log and to bring it back to its position. j

The husk or frame of the machine A, with its slides or track, the carriage and stay-log B, and the means for driving the carriage, feeding the stay-log forward to take a new bite on the iiitch, and for carrying the staylog back, as illustrated particularly in Fig. 1, are of ordinary construction, and, as formerly used, may be briefly described as follows:

.Iournaled in standards a at eachend of the carriage are shafts carrying sprocketwheels C, two sprocket-wheels being fixed upon each shaft. A sprocket-chain c passes over the front sprocket-wheels and two chains c' pass over the rear sprocket wheels and sprocket-wheels D, which are keyed upon the end of the feed-screws d, which are j ournaled in plain bearings. i

In my improvement the bearings of the shafts are eXteriorly-screw-threaded sleeves d', which engage interiorly-screw-threaded boxes d3, secured to the insides of the uprights ci. The feed-screws cl are held against longitudinal movement by collars abutting against the inner ends of the sleeves cl and jam-nuts upon the outer ends of the screwshaft journals, which bear against the hub of the sprocketwheels D. vThe sleeves d have extending from them crank-arms d4, which when turned in one direction or the other give a limited movement to the feed-screws and, of course, to the stay-log B, as the feedscrews are tapped through nuts o, which are secured to the ends of the stay-log.

To the back of the frame A is secured a rack E, which engages a pinion e, which has a band-wheel e2 secured to it. Both are journaled upon a stud-bolt e', which proj ects rearwardly from the base of the carriage or stay log B. A belt passes around the pulley e2, and also around a pulley e3, which is journaled upon a stud-bolt c4, secured to the stayelog or carriage. The stud-bolts are braced at their outer ends by a bar e7, the perforated ends of which pass over the endsof the stud-bolts and are secured in place by nuts, which hold the pulleys and pinions in position.

To the outer end of the pulley e3 is secured a crank-arm e5, the lower end of which passes through a slot in the central coupling f of the rod F, the opposite ends of which are coupled to the crank-arms d4, which project down from the sleeye d'. The belt e6 is secured by screws to the pulley e3, and the belt is united by a coupling-rod e8, by which the tension of the belt over the pulley e2 may be regulated so as to allow the pulley to slip within the belt when the rotation of the pulley e3 is stopped by either one of the arms dfcoming in contact with the end of the carriage or staylog. To prevent jar and limit the movement of these arms, a buffer d5 is secured in a lug projecting laterally from the lever-arms d4.

It will be seen that the device for offsetting `the stay-log in no way interferes with the old and wellknown means of operating the feed- IOO screws for moving the stay-log transversely upon the carriage by means of moving the sprocket-chain c and that after the stay-log is drawn back and the carriage has moved back far enough to bring the flitch some little distance back of the saw and the carriage again started forward to bring the stay-log up to the same position it occupied before the last cut was made the operator may, by moving the feed-chain c, adjust the carriage forward against the indicator-roller until the finger of the indicator points to the indexstop, which indicates the thickness of the veneer to be severed from the flitch. The indicator, which is attached to the upright post near the starting-lever and in full view of the operator and which is figured for different thicknesses and provided with an adjustable stop, is not shown herein, as it forms no part of the present invention.

As before stated, the stay-log, after the iiitches secured upon it have been exhausted, is moved back to receive new Hitches by means of the feed-chain c, operated by hand, which is a slow operation. Ihave provided means actuated by the customary feed mechanism by which the stay-log is rapidly moved back to receive new flitches without materially changing any parts of the feed mechanism. My improvements may therefore be readily applied to any of the veneer-mills now in common use at little expense and without changing materially any of the parts of the wellknown mill, and when applied will greatly increase its capacity.

Referring to Figs. l and 3, I will first describe the arrangement for feeding the staylog longitudinally on its carriage back and forth in the operation of sawing, to which no claim is made, and then my improvement to be actuated by the feed-driving mechanism to carry the stay-log back preparatory to removing the exhausted flitch or flitches and supplying it with a new one to be operated upon.

The feed is mounted in an iron frame Gr, secured to the rear side of the machine, and

is composed of the paper and iron frictionwheels driven by a counter shaft. shown.)

H is the shaft which passes under the carriage and which has a bull-wheel secured upon its inner end to engage a rac-k by which the carriage is fed forward when the frictionf wheel G 1s driven in one direction and giggedy back when the wheel G/ is driven in the op posite direction. The shaft His mounted in movable bearings, the movement of the shaft; being controlled by a lever within convenient reach of the operator on the front side of the- The shaft I-I and its connections machine. and the controlling-lever are not shown, as

they dilfer in no respect from devices now iny common use. The only purpose of this is to bring the friction-wheel G/ against the friction-pulley I to drive the carriage in one direction, against the friction-wheel J to drive (Not the shaft H-in the opposite direction, or to throw the friction-wheel G to its central position, as shown in Fig. 3, to stop the carriage.

The shafts upon which the pulleys I and J are secured revolve all the time, one, t', being driven by a straight belt passing over a pulley (not shown) secured upon the extended end of the shaft and the other by a crossbelt passing over the cone-pulley j, secured upon the shaft j', which carries the frictionpulley J from the counter-shaft pulleys, so that they revolve in opposite directions. Upon one of these shafts z' is secured another friction-wheel i', which is directly below a friction-wheel K. The friction-wheel K is journaled in a box k, which box is suspended at the end of a link or arm 7c'. The opposite end of the link is journaled upon a short shaft in the end of the crank-arm k2, which crank-arm is secured upon a shaft K, which has its bearings in the uprights a at the rear end of the carriage. Upon the forward end of the shaft K is secured a wheel k3, by which the shaft K is rocked to throw the friction-wheel K up to the position shown in the drawings, which position it occupies while the liitches upon the stay-log are being fed to the saw. Upon the inner end of the shaft upon which the pulley K is secured is secured a pinion 7a4, which meshes with the gear-wheel d6, which is secured upon the rear feed-screw d, the link 7c and the crank-arm k2 keeping the pinion and gear-wheel in mesh when in either the upper or lower position. When the flitch is exhausted and it is desirable to supply a new one, the carriage is carried back to the position shown in Figs. l and 3 and the shaft K/ rocked by turning the handwheel 7a3 to drop the friction-wheel K upon the friction-wheel 'el'. This imparts a rapid motion to the screw d and, of course, to the sprocketnwheel upon the same shaft, and through it to the forward shaft d, carrying the stay-log rapidly toward the rear of the machine. When it is passed back far enough, the wheel K is thrown up to the position shown in Fig. I, the exhausted flitch removed and a new one supplied.

It is obvious that the rack and its engaging pinion for actuating the offset may be replaced by a friction-wheel and plain track and also that other means may be employed to impart alimited movement to the stay-log cross-feed. I have shown what I believe to be the simplest and best means to accomplish the objects above set forth, but consider all mere mechanical changes within the spirit and scope of my invention.

l. In a veneer sawing machine, the combination of the supporting frame, the sliding carriage thereon, the stay log, the screws for feeding it transversely on the carriage, exteriorly screw threaded sleeves forming bear- IOO IIO

ing from said sleeves, screw threaded nuts engaging the sleeves, said nuts being secured to the carriage, an actuating rod coupling the said crank arms together, and means such as shown, actuated by the movement of the carriage, to move the rod, to simultaneously rotate the feed screw bearings for the purpose of offsetting the stay log and bringing it back to its position as the carriage moves forward or backward, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a veneer sawing machine of the character described, the combination of the exte* riorly screw threaded bearings for the stay log feed screws, the feed screws held against longitudinal movement within said bearings,

the fixed nuts secured to the carriage to en? gage said screw threaded bearings, arms extending from said bearings, an actuating rod to couple said arms, means such as shown'to limit the throw of the arms and connecting rod, a rack secured to the rear of the stationary frame or husk, stud journals projecting rearwardly from the base of the carriage, a pinion journaled upon one of said studs and meshing with the rack on the frame, a band pulley secured to the pinion and j ournaled upon the saine stud, a band pulley j ournaled upon the other stud, an arm carried by said pulley and coupled to the connecting rod which works the screw threaded bearings of the feed screw, and the band passing over both pulleys, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a veneer sawing machine having the customary feed mechanism for the stay log, the exteriorly screw threaded bearings for the feed screws, having crank arms extending therefrom, nuts fixed to the carriage to engage thc threads of said bearings, the feed screws journaled to turn in said screw threaded bearings but prevented from moving laterally therein, the connecting rod coupling the ends of the arms of the screw threaded bearings, buffers secured in the arms to strike against the fixed projection from the carriage and limit the movement of the arms in either direction, the rack, E, secured to the rear frame of the machine, the pinion, e, and fixed pulley, e2, secured thereto, said pinion and pulley beingjournaled upon stud, e', projecting rearwardly from the carriage, the pulley, e3, journaled upon the stud projecting from the carriage, the arm, e4, secured to said pulley, extending therefrom and coupled to the connecting rod, and the band passing over said pulleys, e2 and e3, for the purpose of moving the connecting rod and simultaneously actuating the screw threaded bearings of the feed screws for the purpose of offsetting the stay log and returning it to its position, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a veneer sawing machine having the feed mechanism for the stay log, the combination of the carriage feed7 a friction pulley thereon in addition to the friction pulleys for the feed, a pinion secured upon the rear feed screw journal, a rock shaft journaled in the rear upright standards of the carriage, a hand wheel on the forward end to rock the shaft, and a crank arm secured on the rear end of said shaft, a link carried by said crank arm, having a journal box at its free end, a journal extending through said box, a pinion secured upon one end of said journal to mesh with the gearwheel upon the feed screwshaft and a friction wheel secured upon the opposite end of said journal above the additional friction wheel secured upon the carriage feed shaft, whereby when said friction wheel is thrown down fto engage said additional friction wheel, a rapid movement is imparted to the stay log feed screws and the stay log re.- tracted, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a veneer mill of the' character described, the combination of the rear feed screw for the stay log, a gear wheel, d, secured upon the rear feed screw shaft, the rock shaft, K', journaled in bearings in the rear uprights of the carriage, the hand wheel, k3, secured upon the forward end of said shaft, the crank arm, k2, secured upon the opposite end of the shaft, the link, 7c', carrying the box, lo, in one end and at the opposite end pivoted to the crank arm, 7a2, a friction wheel, K, secured upon one end of a journal which passes through the box, 7c, the pinion, 7a4, secured upon the opposite end and held in mesh with the gear wheel, d6, which is secured upon the feed screw, d, the friction gear, t, secured upon the driving shaft, t', immediately below the friction wheel, K, to rotate the wheel, K, when thrown down upon it, to impart a rapid movement to the stay log feed screws, for the purpose set forth.

EDVARD MYERS.

Witnesses:

Guo. J. MURRAY, EMMA LYroRD.

IOO 

